[Bookie] WC Group H - (Game 3) Ukraine v Tunisia [R]

[knvb]

Who will win?

[knvb]

Ukraine 1- nil

Was it worth watching?

[Reccos]

Originally Posted by knvb

Ukraine 1- nil

Was it worth watching?

Not really worth it.

Ukraine needed just a tie to advance and I needed them second in my pool but they won on two very debatable situations.

I started sort of rooting for Tunisia who were down to ten in the first half when it was clear that on a FK that the Ukrainian guy in the wall reached up and hit the ball so it just went over the goal. How the ref and linesmen missed that is astonishing.

Then Shevchenko took an easy fall as it appeared to the commentators and I agree and he scored on the penalty shot. All this within a few minutes.

Below is how FIFA site states it but it clearly was a handball. I didn't like to see Tunisia screwed by that non-call even and was a bit more dissatisfied when Shevchenko seemed to dive as the announcer said - right after it was clear that he was headed away from scoring a goal. I know it is hard to call a dive at times on TV but it did look suspect.

66’: Tunisia, meanwhile, also appeared strangely reticent to push forward. They did, though, come agonisingly close to scoring direct from a Anis Ayari free-kick that deflected off the wall and shaved a layer of paint off the crossbar on its way over. A couple of subsequent corners were forced, the second of which saw Karim Haggui head over from all of six yards.

70’: A short, chested back-pass from Jaidi allowed Shevchenko to nip in ahead of the goalkeeper and, when Haggui’s attempts to prevent the Ukraine captain converting sent him tumbling to the ground, referee Carlos Amarilla had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Shevchenko dusted himself down to kick and, having waited for Boumnijel to commit himself, struck his penalty straight down the middle to set his team on the road to the last 16. (1-0)